Car-fender



(No Mon'lel.) G. W. `DONNINCT.

GAR FENDER.

Patented July 27, 1.2897.

mw w

O OO m O0 OOO OOOOQOQOOOOQQO 0000000000009 E a ,0000000n00000000w0Kmm l5 OQQQQQOQQQ 7b4. m 0 000000000000000000000N00A.-

@mmm/wom; 630736, Wnmy,

y Homme/16 Tu: norms Urns co, maw-umu.. wsuxuomu. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT trice.

GEORGE W. DONNING, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,187, dated July27', 1897.

Application filed October 2l, 1896. Serial No. 609,560. (No model.) l

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. DONNING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the'county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Fenders; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

- which will combine great simplicity of construction with highefficiency anddurability in use and cheapness of manufacture.

` In a car-fender characterized bymyinvenl tion I provide a guard-frameadapted to be detachably connected to the car, so as to permit of itsbeing transferred to either end and to project beyond the dashboardthereof. This frame may be of any preferred construction and of anysuitable material combining lightness and strength. Pivotally connectedwith the guard-frame, at a point approximately about midway of itslength 'and between the sides thereof, is a scoop or fenderframe, theconnection being such as to allow the fender-frame to operate or move`freely between the said sides. This fender-frame comprises side piecesconnected by suitable cross-pieces, the rear one of which is bent ordropped to allow the rope-netto have play when a body dropson it, thefront one being provided with rollers or wheels adapted to contact withthe rails when the fender-frame is dropped and thereby keep the samefrom contacting with the ground. This fenderframe and is provided withan abutting surface, such as a bar or a roller suitably covered Vtopresent a soft surface to the body struck. The trigger-frame has asliding conneet-ion with the guard-frame, so that upon being struck itwill move rearward and thereby release the fender-frame, the latterbeing spring-actuated in order to cause it quickly to descend whenreleased.

`In order to prevent the fender-frame from rebounding when the wheels orrollers strike the track and also from lifting when a body is restingupon it, I may in some instances provide each side of the guard-framewith a segmental rack-plate adapted to beA engaged by pawls on thefender-frame. The teeth of these plates will project downward or in thedirection of the ride of the pawls when the frame descends, 'so that thepawls will slide over them, but will prevent the return or lift of theframe untilv the pawls shallhave been thrown out of engagement with theplates.

As a means for causing the fender-frame to drop rapidly when released bythe triggerfraine I have shown in this instance a spring connected witha cross-piece on the guardframe and with the rear cross-piece of thefender-frame, this spring or springs, as I may employ one or more, alsosubserving the further function of holding the outer end of thefender-frame in engagement with the triggerframe until the former isreleased; but it is to be understood that in some instances I may weightthe outerend of the fender-frame and cause this weight to subserve thesame function'as the spring or springs.

Further and more specific details of construction will hereinafter bemore fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which like letters of reference indicate like parts, I haveillustrated one form of embodiment of my invention, although it is tobeunderstood that other forms of embodiment-thereof may be employedwit-hout departing lfrom the spirit of the same, and in these drawings-Figure 1 is a view in perspective, showing the fender attached to thedashboard of a car and below the same and in position to be released forthe purpose of picking up a body.

IOO

Fig. 2 is a view in plan, showing more clearly certain parts notdistinctly shown in Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the guard-frame, consisting inthis instance of two side pieces a, curved to the appropriate shape, twobase-pieces a2, and cross-pieces d3 and ai, conncctin g the side andbase pieces a and a?, respectively. It is to be understood that I do notconfine myself to this precise construction of frame, as any otherarrangement may be employed if found necessary or desirable. Thisguard-frame is provided at its rear portion with suitable fasteningdevices, as hooks or projections a5, to engage catches or eyes on thefront of the dashboard or dashboard-standard, so as to permit of theframe being readily attached or detached when desired.

Toi-king between the side pieces a is the pick-up or fen der-frameproper, B,coin prising in this instance side pieces b of any preferredshape, and cross-pieces b2 b3, connecting the side pieces, the formerbeing curved to allow free play of the net when struck by a body and thelatter cross-piece being provided with suitable wheels or rollers Z2" torun upon the rails when the fender-frame is dropped and thereby hold thelatter from contact with the ground. The fender-frame is pivotallyconnected with the guard-frame at a point intermediate of the ends ofthe latter, and the guard-net C is secured in com mon to the guard-frameand to the fender-frame in any suitable manner, as by means of eyes a.Secured to the cross-piece b2 is a coiled spring h5, the other end ofwhich is secured to the crosspiece a3 ofthe guard-fram e, this springexerting tension or pull in the direction requisite to cause thefender-traine to be projected downward, when thc spring is free to act.

Thile I have shown but one spring, it is to be understood that two ormore may be employed if found necessary.

The fender-frame is held normally out of engagement with the ground bymeans of a trigger-frame D, comprising side pieces (l, which areslotted, as at d2, in order to permit the trigger-f rame to movelongitudinally with relation to the guard-f rame, a screw or bolt d3,extending through the slot of each arm, serving to hold these arms inproper opera-tive position with relation to the frame. stance al1ordinary bolt is shown; but it is to be understood that, if desired, aroller may be mounted on vthe bolt to facilitate the working ot' thetrigger-frame. The outer portion of this frame is bent or is providedwith inward-extending projections (Z4, which are designed to engage withprojections D, extending outward from each side of the fenderframe, asclearly shown in Fig. 2. Then the parts are in the position shown inFig. l, these two sets of projections are in engagement with each otherand are held there by means of the spring or springs if; but as soon asthe front of the trigger-frame contacts with an object these two sets ofprojections are thrown out of locked engagement with each other and thespring projects the fender-frame downward with great rapidity.

If desired, the rear ends of the arms ofthe trigger-frame may beweighted, as at d5, or be spring-pressed or spring-pulled, so as tocause this frame to lift and assume a vertical position or drop backupon the guard-frame when the fender is in use, after having releaseditself from contact with the object picked up, the front portion of thistriggerframe being suitably held and guided by means of guides or waysa7 on the sides of the guard-frame.

In order to prevent the fender-frame from lifting when a body is restingupon the netting, rack-plates aS are employed, which are secured to theinner face of the sides of the guard-frame and are engaged by pawls ZJ?,carried by the fender-frame.

It is to be understood that, if desired, but one rack-plate `may beemployed; also, that instead of employing a spring or springs to projectthe fender-frame downward I may employ a weight or weights secured tothe outer end of the fender-frame, or, if preferred, I may construct theouter portion of the fender-frame heavier than the rear portion andthereby cause this additional weight to subserve the same function asthe spring.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A car-fender comprising a guard-frame, a fender-frame pivotallyconnected therewith, a trigger-frame for holding the fenderframe normally raised, said trigger-frame being adapted to move horizontally, andto project beyond the fender-frame, whereby to contact with anobstruction, to release the fender-frame, means for projecting thefender-frame downward, when released by the trigger-frame, and means forlifting the trigger frame upward and above the fenderframe, so as toclear the object picked up by the fender-frame, substantially asdescribed.

2. A car-fender, comprising a guard-frame, pivotally secured to thefront of the car, a fender-frame pivoted thereto intermediate of: theends of the guard-frame, a pick-up net secured to the guard-frame and tothe fenderframe, said fender-frame being projected beyond the outer endof the guard-frame, a trigger-frame carried by the lower portion of theguard-frame, and adapted to move longitudinally thereon, saidtrigger-frame being projected beyond the guard-frame, and provided withprojections for sustaining the fender-frame inv its raised position, andto release the fender-frame when struck, a spring for projecting thefender-frame downward, when released, and a weight for tilting thetrigger-frame upward, substantially as described.

3. A car-fender comprising a guard-frame, a fender-frame pivotallyconnected therewith, a trigger-frame for holding the fender- TOO IIO

the fender-frame, so as to clear the objectpicked up by the fender, andmeans for preventing the fender-frame from lifting when a body isresting upon the netting thereof,

comprising rack-plates secured to the guardframe of the fender, andpawls carried by the fender-frame for engaging the rack-plates,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. DONNING.

Witnesses:

ARMAND -T. GIRARD, EDWARD J. BRIDGES

